See You Again
by Killing Kunoichi
Summary: In which Jazmine and her father visit Woodcrest, and reunites with old friends, including a certain someone whom she lost communication years back.
1. Prologue

Prologue.

It was still a pleasant morning at the Woodcrest neighborhood. Huey Freeman now 16 years of age, still muses on the political, economical and social views like every other day on the newspaper, and Riley, two years younger, still wakes up with a wasted expression on his face.

Typical routine to start the morning.

Out of the blue, the doorbell rang. The elder brother turned his attention at the door and unlatched the lock and pulled the handle, revealing a delivery man with a short bond sized packet and a clipboard.

"Aye Heuy!" The man greeted with a jovial wave and the afro-haired boy nodded his head in salutation, "Got some mail for you, man! Some girl named Jazmine?" Huey took the package from his hands after signing. There, at the bottom of the envelope was written,

 _To: Huey Freeman_

 _Fr: Jazmine Dubois_

His eyes repeatedly glazed through the letters, a stoic expression still plastered on his mocha face. After he bade the mailman his farewell, Huey went up to his room with a measured pace, his brain showering thoughts on a certain childhood friend who once sat with him by the hill.. Blabbering her anive ideas while he shut down her delusions.

He has not heard of her since she left with her father three years ago...

He set the package on his desk, and left his room, still pondering on their once fragile friendship.

 **Author's Note: Hello again. I'm just passing by. I've binge-watched Boondocks last year and decided to write something. Updates will be inconsistent.**


	2. Chapter 1: Woodcrest

_It was a beautiful day to run around the neighborhood. Aside from the houses that surrounded the area, there was the apparent free-spirited nature that accompanied the magnificent scenery. The shrubs and trees covered much of the sidewalks and the fresh air blew the little strawberry curls from her face every now and then._

 _It was a beautiful day indeed._

 _With an air of positivity, Jazmine approached a little boy a few meters from her._

" _Hi!" She greeted with a blinding smile, "My name's Jazmine and I'm new here!"_

 _The said boy turned around to look at her and what a sight to behold. From his stunning mass of obsidian curls on his head to the smooth mocha skin and small build, she found him cute. Even when his expression was donned with a permanent scowl._

" _Huh.. Nice to know there's more of us in this neighbourhood." The boy mumbled to himself that she could barely catch his words._

" _What do you mean? There's lots of kids here!" To prove her point, she gestured at the little ones scurrying around with their friends in childish laughter and playthings. Instead of expounding what he meant, the boy shook his head._

" _Nothing.. My name's Huey, by the way.." He introduced himself. She half expected he would take a step closer to shake hands but he made no move towards her. She shrugged off his apathy, not once breaking her smile._

" _It's nice to meet you, Huey! Wanna play?" His frown seemed to deepen at her invitation._

" _No thanks.." He turned down his offer with a deadpanned tone and steered his heels to the opposite direction, "I'm gonna read somewhere." That faltered her grin into a longing frown._

" _Oh.. can I come with you, anyway?" She inquired, this time with a more timid voice. Huey paused his movements, gauging her with those calculating burgundy eyes. A minute passed and he seemed to realize she wasn't leaving anytime soon, sighing in defeat and tilting his head to follow him._

" _I guess.."_

 _It was a start of a beautiful friendship._

 _At least Jazmine hopes so_.

[_]

This is it. Woodcrest., The place where she left her childhood innocence behind is now the place she'll be staying for the rest of her Christmas break.

Jazmine Dubois heaved a sigh of resignation as she watched the suburban scenery whoosh from the car window. Her head was to the side, away from the driver whose pupils glanced her way every now and then. A dry cough reverberated through the car, yet she sat as stiff as a board.

"Yes dad…?" She responded a few minutes after, her upper body still leaning into the car door.

"We'll be staying with the Freemans this Christmas vacay." Her father said, "Huey's in town. As well as Caesar and Riley." Her hands balled tightly and her emerald irises darkened with melancholy.

"Oh."

"They'll be keeping you company. Cindy's been coming by their house. She might stop by today." He added, shifting his head towards her with a shaky smile, but she paid no heed to his little movements, her fingers now twirling around her short strawberry afro. She hasn't heard from the boys for five long years. Cindy was the only person she continued communicating with over the years apart. Even then, she has no knowledge of how everyone is going about their lives without her whiny little face running about, least of all Huey Freeman.

She and him had a history way back when they were ten years old. He was the newest kid on the block then, along with Riley and their grandfather, Mr. Robert Freeman. She used to hang around Huey as he went on about his vision and the harsh realities of the world. She actually thought they were friends at one point.

Sadly, friendship does not define itself between a naïve little girl who follows around like a lost puppy and a boy, who was wiser than kids of his age and a retired domestic terrorist, with an aspiration worth focusing on than indulging her innocence.

Her fingers continuously fiddled with the tips of her hair, only stopping when her hands started to glisten with sweat. The car came to abrupt stop, right in front of the Freeman household. She held her breathe as her clammy hands opened the car door and stepped right out of the vehicle with a sombre step. She started her way to the doorstep, her father following from behind.

Every pace she made was a half of the heart palpitations that drummed in her ears. The slower she sauntered, the louder her heartbeat sounded, the heavy footfalls seemed as if she were slowly sinking into the sandpits of her anxiety.

She needed to calm down. It was only Woodcrest. It was only the Freemans. Just Mr. Freeman with his wacky stories and grandfather charm. Just Riley being a gangsta through and through. Just Caesar and his Brooklyn vibes.

And it was just Huey. Huey Freeman. The boy with colossal ambitions to change the world through his vision. The boy who proclaims himself as a retired domestic terrorist. The boy who tore down her walls of delusion right when the tsunami of reality comes crashing down on her. The boy who dared to make her listen to his lectures on social, political and economical issues of the world.

The boy who made the greatest influence in her childhood.

And the memories that were once buried now resurfaced, the dug up bits of nostalgia and melancholy swirled in her mind. It was too much too handle.

And in a sudden instance, Jazmine now realized she was facing the door, barely inches away from the handle. Her father stood beside her, his curious gaze resting on her face.

"Jazmine." Her eyes widened and blinked once, chancing a glance at him.

"Shall I knock on the door for you or do you want to do the honors..?" He asked, stretching an arm towards the door. A tiny smile twitched on her face. She shook her head and pressed a finger on the bell, awaiting for the people beyond the entrance.

"Coming!" Hollered a familiar voice. She took several deep breaths, in hopes to soothe the pounding anxiety over her body.

It barely did.

Her eyes casted down to her clothes, scrutinizing her ripped jeans, pink tank top and black flats. Her hand smoothed the tight braids on the left side of the scalp while forking her other through her loose curls at the right. It only made her more self conscious.

There was an abrupt clicking sound by the door. Jazmine stopped her fidgeting and placed her hands back down by her sides as she gazed straight ahead.

The door finally opened, revealing three boys with dark chocolate skin. At the left was Riley, in his usual wife beater and jeans. His hair was in cornrows and his face was donned with a smirk. On the right was Caesar, who still kept his hair in loose dreads. Just where she was standing was Huey, who after all these years, still kept his huge afro. His wine maroon eyes were stoic, absent of any emotion. They were accompanied with his infamous creased eyebrows and long frown.

They never really changed, only a growth spurt and facial hair. Their gaze was on her as she tried her hardest not to linger hers on Huey.

"Heeey Jazzy." He greeted her, voice in a deep sultry tone, "Lookin' good today." She scrunched up her face in disgust but kept her mouth pursed shut. Caesar snorted.

"Ignore him. He's always like that." He said.

"You blowin' my cool, C." The young Escobar whined. Huey only rolled his eyes at the typical banter before veering his attention to her.

"Nice to see you again, Jazmine." Her cheeks pooled with rosey red before stammering a similar response. His pupils flickered towards her hair.

"Cool afro, by the way." He added. To this, she managed a smirk of her own.

"Thanks," came her smooth reply, "Can't beat yours, though." And he mirrored hers before clearing a path for them to come in. Jazmine took her pink travel bag and went inside.

The interior design of the house still remained the same. Jazmine couldn't believe her eyes. Every single furniture were situated at the same places back when she used to visit them in her middle and high school days. The platform television and the dark brown couches still stood in front of them as though they hadn't left. She could barely see the bullet marks left from their games.

She could see herself, baby face scrunched up and tear-stained over something silly and nonsensical (as Huey would ever so eloquently say). Riley would pester his brother to 'shut this bitch up' since, really, he could never handle her tantrums. Huey would put on his permanent scowl to ignore their silly nuances because it was 'none of his business'.

But she wasn't ten anymore. She wouldn't be chatting about ponies and rainbows with a vision of the world so narrow, so idealistic that Huey would roll his eyes on. Her face would no longer be drenched in tears whenever he tore her fantasies with immense satisfaction. Jazmine was.. she was more than that.

She shook the memory and blinked her eyes, now looking at the empty couch.

"Hey Jazmine, you coming?" She turned to him and smiled in reply.

[_]

 _Jazmine was glad to find another person to be with, but right now on this hill beneath the tree with Huey, her pretty little legs were aching to run around. The girl shuffled herself on the grass, shifting to a more comfortable position. She veered her head towards Huey, eager to catch his attention without saying a word. The boy merely ignored her, eyes focused on the page before him. Her lips drew a pout._

" _Do you wanna play a game?" She asked and her new found friend had yet to elicit a response aside from flipping a page._

" _No." He turned a page._

" _Will you play with me when you're done?" She asked once again, a little louder this time._

" _No." Not a flinch or twitch was seen. Only a flipping of a page and eyes running over the sentences._

 _Jazmine let out a loud sigh, enough for Huey to take a quick look at her before returning to his book. Her frown deepened. Oh she does not like it when she's ignored._

 _Well. If she can't coax him to play with her, she might as well join him._

" _What are you reading then?" His hand hovered over the page as Huey inclined his head to look at her. A permanent scowl was still marred on his face._

" _Something you don't understand." He replied, his deep brown eyes gazing at hers, as if prompting a reaction. She quirked an eyebrow back at him with a puppy pout._

" _Well, make me understand." She demanded, crawling closer to the boy with her arms. His eyes narrowed but made no sudden movement of backing away. Jazmine took that as a sign of invitation._

 _She watched him puff out a large breath, clearly annoyed with her already. Just as she thought of an apology, he asked, "Why do you want to know so badly, anyway?"_

" _Because I'm bored and you won't let me play with you, so I might as well do something." He gave out another sigh and reared his sights back to his book. This time, however, she saw his eyes lying still and his thumb moving idly at the edge. She wondered if he was deciding over her presence, if he was ever going to indulge her._

" _You don't have to stay here if you don't want to.. I'm not forcing you or anything." He tells her a flip of a page later, scrutinizing her from his periphery._

" _Well I kinda like you so you're stuck with me." Jazmine snorted, smiling at his odd expression. She couldn't put a name to it, but it was better than a mean frown._

" _Somehow I don't like the sound of that…"_

 _Her smile grew and she tapped a finger across the page he was on. "Now come on, show me what you're reading, Huey."_

[_]

Nothing interesting came from her the whole way they were walking to the guest room. It was mostly just her dad relaying memories of their stay in California. Most of the polite responses came from Caesar and most side remarks came from Riley. Huey was… well. Huey. With his usual scowl and enigmatic demeanor. There were slight instances she found the boy- no man sliding glances at her direction, but it was only microseconds. She can never be certain. Not with him.

"Where's your granddad?" She asked once they reached the guest room.

"He's sleeping." Replied Huey from behind, "He'll probably be awake later in the afternoon." She gave a small nod at him before entering. The white painted room was bare and empty, consisiting only with two single beds by the window and one small cabinet for clothes. Unlike the mini chandelier down at the dining room, it was still well lit with a typical fluorescent light.

She set her travelling bag on the floor and arranged her clothes on the bed, vaguely hearing the soft footsteps of the boys down the hall. Her father rummaged through the closet, placing his now folded ones to their designated places. As she finished clearing her side of the bed, she looked at the window, noting the light pouring through. Suddenly, her stomach growled.

"So how's about some lunch?" Her father asked.

Right on schedule.

She hasn't eaten soul food in a long time. Especially with the Freemans. Their grandfather wasn't able to make it to his own lunch due to his back ache and Jazmine was left with an awkward party. Her father was off at the side, chattering non stop about whatever the hell he did in California and the rest was barely paying any attention to him. Not like he noticed anyway.

Her problem at the moment is a certain someone sitting across the table. Just the presence of him a few feet away from her made her cheeks darker than her ash blond hair. He wasn't little frowny Huey anymore. He was a grown tall man, with a permanent scowl and an IQ that can terrify an entire nation. Who is Huey Freeman right now? What was he like? What would they be like as friends?

Questions swarmed in her mind. The reality of her situation grew heavier in the back of her mind that she was almost misheard a giggle beside her. She shifted an eye to the side with a glare.

"What?" She growled. Riley's giggles turned into a full blown laughter.

"Man, after all these years, you still have a thing for Huey." He whispered in her ear. It wasn't truly a whisper, for she found Huey's stare at them through her periphery.

"Shut the fuck up, Riley." She spat back in a low rumble, and it only riled his laughter.

"When you stop eye fucking him, then yeah, maybe." He responded, clutching his stomach from his own laughter. Her face hard with vexation as she clutched onto the side of the table with her hands for balance and stomped on his feet with force that elicited a squeak from Riley.

"Bitch." He bit out from his whimpering.

"Asshole." She shot back with more fervor. Fortunately, her father was not aware of the commotion beside him. It was only Huey, who was quietly watching from across the table.

"You alright, Jazmine?" He gently asked, voice filled with concern. From her lack of interaction with him over the years, that seemed the most uncharacteristic behavior she'd seen of Huey. Beside him, Caesar grew silent, amusement plastered on his face.

Her hands shakily gripped the edge of the table, telling herself that for a moment maybe Huey was deaf to Riley's words. She meekly replied with, "Yeah, I'm fine." and she stomped on Riley's foot for another warning. He fumbled and staggered away from her. Huey kept his eyes on her for awhile before averting his attention back to his meal and Caesar did the same, making conversation with her dad as well.

Nothing significant occurred throughout the meal.

By the time the plates were stowed away, it was two in the afternoon and the men were heading out for a walk around the city. Riley has his own friends to go to along the way and Huey and Caesar are off to visit Caesar's girl friend a few blocks away from them.

"You could come with us, if you want." Caesar said, "Josephine's a cool girl. You guys might get along."

The thought being in the same room with Huey felt like thumb tacks piercing her intestines. No. Just no. She wasn't ready yet. She doesn't want to deal with him yet.

"Thanks but not today." Jazmine gave a quick forced smile, "I feel a little sleepy." For the nth time of the day, she could feel the elder Freeman's stare on her.

"You sure?" Huey asked, "It's pretty chill day out."

She shook her head, "Yea I'm sure. Thanks for asking, though."

"Alright. You can come to us if you change your mind." He said but Jazmine was already walking up the stairs before either of them stop her.

For the rest of the day, she spent the rest of the day in her room, reading, anything to shake her away from the memories of Huey and her childhood.

[_]

" _Hey Huey?"_

" _Yea?"_

" _Thank for being my friend."_

" _Whatever you say, Jazmine."_

 **A/N: It's not that short now, is it?**


End file.
